


Setting The Bar High

by ClarensjoyAUs (Clarensjoy)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Fluff, Humour, Minor Jily, Minor Sirius Black - Freeform, Muggle AU, University AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:21:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28451565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clarensjoy/pseuds/ClarensjoyAUs
Summary: "Harry didn’t know what to say. A day ago he had been thinking of Ginny, wishing she had never crossed his path, and now she was in front of him, winking and smiling, making him laugh. "A mishap on the athletics field brings Harry's attention to a certain red head.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley
Comments: 18
Kudos: 52





	Setting The Bar High

‘You need to fix your timing. Wait until you feel that tug, then launch your feet into the air. You’re just barely grazing it, you’ll sail over.’

Harry nodded as he listened to his godfather, trying to slow down his breath. Sirius made an arcing motion with his hands, demonstrating the perfect angle that Harry needed to achieve to vault over the bar. ‘You’ve got this Harry,’ he finished, squeezing his shoulder.

Harry looked back to his parents, who were sitting further up the stands. They smiled and waved at him, and he tried to return the gesture, but the nerves that bubbled in his stomach made for more of a grimace. Harry turned away from the railing that Sirius had been leaning over and walked across the track, back to the pole-vaulting area.

One more attempt. One more attempt to claim gold. Neville, his closest competitor and a long-time friend of his, had already taken his last jump, not making it over. If Harry didn’t make it now, he would be given silver, in favour of Neville having used the least attempts across all his jumps.

Harry blew out a breath and slapped his thighs. He gathered some chalk, then lifted his pole from the ground. He walked slowly to the track leading up to the bar. For a few moments he simply rested the pole on his shoulder, looking at the height he had to conquer. He envisioned himself soaring over it.

Gathering all his concentration, he grabbed the pole in his hands, the familiarity of the motion serving to anchor him slightly. He leaned back, then leaned in. The pole lifted and he set off, sprinting towards the bar.

He had jumped this height before. He knew he could do it. Push, lift, soar. Push, lift, soar. His mind chanted as he thundered closer and closer to the mat. At the right time, he planted the end of the pole in the ground, he tensed his arms and felt the lift of the bending pole.

But then, something else caught his attention.

‘He is fit, but I think he’s in love with his pole to be honest.’

Harry looked down. He saw two girls walking past the pole-vault mat. The one, a red head, was talking and looking straight up at him. Harry’s heart momentarily stopped beating in his chest. And then, everything went to shit.

Any semblance of timing went out the window, and the pole continued to bend. Harry lost control and for a moment, he thought he was going to be flung into the stands. The pole bent and swayed and then thankfully, though perhaps not much better, it flung him straight into the air, limbs sprawling, until he landed on the mat with a yelp and a gasp. The sound of the crowd disappeared for a few seconds, and then came rushing back.

‘Jesus Christ Harry, what was that!?’ Harry opened his eyes to see Neville standing over him, staring at him in shock.

Harry wished for nothing more than to sink into the mat and disappear. He groaned and wiped his hands over his face. In the distance he heard an announcer’s voice declare Neville’s gold in the men’s pole-vault, and his silver.

‘Can we never mention this happening?’ he grumbled into his hands.

Neville laughed. ‘I have it on video mate, there’s no chance.’

Harry sat up, glaring at his friend, who backed off and climbed off the mat, giving him some space. Harry ran his hands through his hair, then turned around to stand up. As he looked behind him, he locked eyes with the very same red head that had caused his blunder. She was standing with her hands over her mouth, eyes wide in shock.

Harry threw her a look and then turned around, stomping off the mat, but he wasn’t sure if he came off as menacing as he wanted to. He looked over his shoulder once more to see the girl was talking animatedly to her bushy-haired friend, faces both painted with shock.

Regretfully, Harry found himself thinking that her toned legs and long hair were quite attractive. She was a competitor too, dressed in athletics kit.

‘Distracted?’

Harry whipped his head around to see Sirius looking at him with a smirk. Harry shook his head, and retreated to his bench, throwing on a shirt. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the two girls walking away.

He kicked off his spikes, grumbling. ‘Not at all.’

* * *

‘So, there’s this party on Friday night- ‘

‘Don’t start, Seamus.’ Dean said, cutting his friend off. Seamus looked at Harry, offense clearly taken at Dean’s quick dismissal, but Harry shrugged and turned back to his laptop.

‘There’s this party on Friday night, and we are all going,’ Seamus said, sitting down. He looked excitedly between his friends, all of whom seemed non-plussed.

‘I have to get three interior sketches done by Monday, and I haven’t started one,’ Dean said, sighing. ‘I will be spending Friday night with my friends Mr Pen and Mrs Paper.’

‘Wanker,’ Seamus said, then he turned to face Harry and Neville, eyebrows raised.

‘Sorry mate, I’m seeing Hannah on Friday,’ Neville said.

Harry tried to sink lower behind his laptop, not prepared with an actual excuse. He had been gearing up for a Friday night at the indoor track, and then perhaps splurging on some ice cream from Fortescue’s. Maybe throwing in one beer. Seamus’ head suddenly appeared in front of him, a hand closing his laptop.

‘Harry? Come on mate, we’ll have a good time.’

‘I’d love to, but I can’t,’ Harry said.

‘Why?’ Seamus pushed.

‘I just can’t,’ Harry said.

‘Piss poor excuse right there,’ Dean muttered under his breath. Harry narrowed his eyes at his friend.

‘I’m just not in the mood,’ Harry grumbled.

‘Right now you’re not, but come Friday I can guarantee you will be,’ Seamus said, wiggling his eyebrows. ‘Maybe we can find you a bird. Ever since Stacey you’ve just been so mopey- ‘

‘-I have not been mopey!’

‘Well it seems like all you do is jump over bars with poles nowadays!’ Seamus said. Harry scowled and closed his laptop in earnest. He started to pack away his books.

‘He’s already hung up on a bird,’ Neville said, leaning in. Harry closed his eyes and blew out a breath, hoping that Neville was leading up to some ridiculous joke about a pigeon.

‘Oh, really?’ Dean piped up, bringing his pencil to tap on his chin. ‘Do tell.’

Harry turned back in his chair to face Neville. ‘Yes, do tell Neville.’

Neville, not intimidated in the slightest, smirked at Harry. ‘A girl down at the track. You know that video I sent on Sunday? She was the cause.’

‘A girl stopped you mid-vault?’ Seamus asked incredulously. ‘Was she walking with her tits out?’ Harry sent his friend an incredulous look. ‘Harry, if I had known it had gotten this bad, I would’ve acted sooner. We have to get you shagged,’ Seamus said, shaking his head. ‘So, I’m invoking the first amendment.’

The table erupted in a serious of shouts and exclamations. Heads turned their way, and some people shushed them. They were in the library after all. Harry swore and pointed a finger at Seamus. ‘You can’t do that.’

‘I can,’ Seamus said smugly. ‘I drove halfway to Bristol to bring your spikes after you’d forgotten them in the dorm. You said you owed me one. I have it in writing actually, don’t you remember signing?’

Harry stood up and slung his bag over his shoulder. ‘I bloody well remember.’ He said.

‘” Each good deed will be repaid by another, granted both parties remember the deed or one party has proof of the other’s compliance.”’ Dean recited. A stupid rule from a stupid pact that they had all made in their stupid first year.

‘Be ready at seven!’ Seamus shouted after Harry, who was already halfway to the exit, fingers in the air behind him.

* * *

Harry downed his lukewarm beer, scanned the crowded living room once more, and then turned to make his way back home.

Barely twenty minutes it had been, and Seamus had already run off to God knows where, with God knows who, to do God knows what. Harry had known this would happen, it always happened with Seamus. Harry didn’t need to be looked after, but it pissed him off that Seamus had forced him to come to this party and then promptly abandoned him, acting as if it wouldn’t have made a difference if he had come at all.

The hallways were crowded too. For some reason everyone had got the memo that this would be the greatest house-party of the year. Harry admitted that perhaps if he wasn’t in such a foul mood he would appreciate it, but he wasn’t prepared to give it a chance. He suspected he could still make it to the gym, work off the waste of a beer he had finished and then go promptly to bed.

He rounded the corner, uncertainly, into a less crowded hallway. He spotted the exit at the end of the passage and made a beeline for it. The door was just closing, another person disappearing through it, when he held a hand up to stop it and slipped out after them. Except, he didn’t come out onto the street where he had entered from. He stared at himself in a mirror. In a tiled bathroom.

‘Um, excuse me?’

He turned around and saw that the person he had followed was a girl, who currently had her hands on her hips, and was looking at him with a raised eyebrow. She looked oddly-

‘You!’ she exclaimed, bringing a hand to her mouth. She let out a bark of laughter. ‘Pole-vault guy!’

Harry stared at her in shock. Her hair was down, different to the ponytail he had first seen it in. But her eyes still shone bright brown, and now, closer to her, he could see a dusting of freckles across her face.

‘I- er. Wait a minute!’ Harry stammered. ‘Don’t laugh! You threw me completely off my jump!’

‘Oh come on, I was talking in a low voice!’ she volleyed back.

‘You cost me the championship!’

She laughed. ‘I think you’re looking for someone to- ‘she paused and threw her hands in the air ‘-Why am I arguing with a stranger in a bathroom? Get out!’ she said.

Harry was ready to come back with a snarky reply, but just as suddenly as her, he realised the impropriety of their situation. He was lucky that she had reacted this well, he literally could have caught her with her pants down.

‘I guess, I-um. I’ll leave.’ He fumbled for his words.

She opened the door for him, as he stepped out, she spoke again. ‘Good. We’ll continue this argument outside.’

Continue the argument? Harry turned around only for the bathroom door to be slammed in his face. He stood in shock for a moment then turned and leaned against the wall. If she wanted to continue the argument, then he would bloody well wait for her. He tried to ignore the couple grunting and moaning against the wall just a few metres away from him. The music from the living room blared.

He heard the toilet flush. ‘Alright, come on.’ She emerged from the bathroom. Harry realised he didn’t even know her name.

‘I’m Harry, by the way,’ he said, following her through the crowd. They continued along a passageway that he didn’t recognise until they came one of the less crowded common rooms. She snagged a free sofa, and he cautiously sat down next to her.

‘Ginny,’ she said, holding her hand out for him to shake. ‘Now, where were we? Oh yeah.’ She flipped her hair over her shoulder. ‘I think you’re looking for someone to blame your own mistakes on!’ she shouted. Harry took a step back, shocked at her sudden change in tone.

‘What the- ‘

She grinned at him and laughed. ‘I did say we’d continue this argument.’

He looked at her for a moment and then couldn’t help but laugh himself. He shook his head and looked up at the ceiling. ‘You know what? It’s been nearly a week, I think it’s time I just got over it,’ he said. ‘There’s another competition next week anyway.’

‘I’ll make sure to steer clear of you,’ she said, a sparkle in her eye. Harry found himself wanting her to do the very opposite. He rubbed at the back of his neck.

‘You compete then?’ he asked her.

She nodded. ‘Heptathlon,’ she said proudly.

He raised his eyebrows, impressed. ‘Now I’m embarrassed for doing just one event.’

‘Don’t be,’ she said airily. ‘There are only a few of us blessed with such skill.’ She winked at him and he couldn’t help but grin at her. He noticed her body shift a bit closer to his. They were rather close now, knees brushing together. The noise level in the room increased as a rowdy group entered, and the music was turned up.

‘Ginny! Romilda’s throwing up in the bathroom!’ A girl appeared at the doorway, looking frantic. Ginny closed her eyes, and Harry noticed the irritation on her face. He supposed this was not an uncommon sentence said to her.

‘What am I supposed to do about that Parvati?’ she asked.

Ginny’s friend walked further out into the room, coming to stand in front of them. She gasped softly when she saw Harry, and she smirked, then looked to Ginny. ‘Nothing. I see you’re rather busy.’ Parvati said, then turned on her heel and weaved her way back through the crowd. Harry looked back at Ginny with a raised eyebrow.

Ginny rolled her eyes. ‘You’re going to be part of a rumour tomorrow,’ she said.

‘Oh,’ he said lamely. ‘A good one, at least?’ he asked.

Ginny bit her lip and Harry felt his breath hitch in his throat. ‘A lewd one, I’d say,’ she answered.

Harry didn’t know what to say. A day ago he had been thinking of Ginny, wishing she had never crossed his path, and now she was in front of him, winking and smiling, making him laugh. He ran his hands through his hair and looked at the floor.

‘I think we’ve put up with this party long enough, don’t you?’ Ginny said.

‘I was on my way out before I stumbled into you, actually,’ Harry said. Ginny laughed at his assessment of their run-in at the bathroom.

‘Places to be?’ she asked him.

‘Heading towards the track, yeah.’

Ginny raised her eyebrows and smiled at him. She smoothed down her skirt and played with the hem of the shirt she was wearing. ‘Well it’s a good thing I wore hot pants under this skirt.’

‘Er- ‘Harry stammered.

‘So I can beat you in high jump of course,’ she said. She grabbed his hand and pulled him back into the hallway. The party had grown more out of hand while they had been talking. The dancing had become more languid, and more couples peppered the hallways. Ginny expertly navigated her way through them. Just before they reached the front door, Harry spotted Seamus in the living room, dancing on a table. He laughed and shook his head.

‘What?’ Ginny asked, turning around.

‘Nothing,’ Harry said. ‘You’re just definitely not the only one with friends who go overboard sometimes.’

Ginny peered into the living room, saw the mayhem inside, and laughed. Then she twisted the doorknob of the front door and they left the rabble behind. Only a hum in the distance.

* * *

‘So when did you start competing?’ Ginny asked as she adjusted the high jump bar. She had slipped off her boots and stood barefoot on the tarmac. She had also taken off her skirt to reveal tight running shorts underneath. Harry had taken a moment to adjust to that, then he had wondered if she always wore sports gear for occasions like this.

‘My uncle introduced me to vault when I was young. Five, I think. Then I reckon my first real competition was when I was ten,’ Harry replied. He stood a few feet behind her, trying to judge his run up. He hadn’t done high jump since his school days. Embarrassingly, he found he really wanted to impress Ginny.

‘Wow. Runs in the family?’ Ginny asked, turning around to look at him.

‘Kind of. My uncle and dad were great athletes, but they were more runners. My dad was really into his rugby.’ He said. ‘What about you?’

Ginny took long strides towards him, counting her steps, and stopped a few metres behind him. She threw her hair back and gathered it up with her hands, then tied it up in a long ponytail. ‘I was always running around, but only got into athletics at school. Most of my brothers were on this team too,’ she said.

‘Brothers?’ he asked.

‘Six.’ She held up the same number of fingers, eyes wide, then laughed. ‘I’m the baby of the family.’

Harry laughed. He couldn’t imagine how different her upbringing had been to his. He loved his parents, and he had friends, but it had been lonely at times. He wondered what family holidays with six siblings must have been like. Utter chaos, probably. Pure fun.

‘Alright, enough with the small-talk. Are you going to go, or do I need to give you some instruction first?’ Ginny challenged him, hands on her hips. Harry placed a hand at his chest, mockingly offended. He looked back at the bar. It was, in his opinion, ridiculously low. He narrowed his eyes at Ginny, and she smirked at him. She was testing him.

‘You set the bar very high,’ he said.

‘I always do,’ she quipped.

Harry set himself up for the jump, then ran straight for the bar at a loping run. He dived over it, tumbling onto the mat and then standing up on his legs, arms held open for applause. Ginny laughed and clapped slowly. He bowed himself off the mat.

‘Getting fancy, I see,’ she said.

‘Child’s play.’ He winked at her, and for the first time that night he noticed a blush on her face. His body lit up in response, flames dancing across his skin. He was having some effect on her at least. Ginny tightened her ponytail, then strolled up to the bar. She stopped just before it and then turned so she faced him. She bent low, then threw her arms up, arched her back, and soared over the bar. No run-up needed.

‘It is just a warm-up,’ she said, strutting off the mat. She walked up to him and placed a hand on his bicep. ‘Do you think you can go higher?’ she asked seriously.

‘I think I’ll manage.’

The air between them seemed to grow thin, and his breathing became shallow. For a moment they simply stood close together, but then she withdrew her hand from his arm, and the moment passed. She raised the height of the bar to a much less manageable height. It was as high as she was tall.

‘I can’t imagine high jump is your best event,’ he commented.

Ginny cocked an eyebrow. ‘Because I’m short?’

‘Well…’ he shrugged.

‘Very tactful, Harry. You’re right, it’s not my best- that’s javelin- but it’s also not my worst.’

‘Which is?’ he asked.

She rolled her eyes. ‘Long distance,’ she grumbled.

‘Lazy!’ he taunted. He was soon slapped on the arm, and he laughed, feigning genuine hurt.

‘I’m not the one who does just one event!’ she said back, incredulous. Then suddenly, she set her eyes on the high jump bar, and then sprinted towards it. She sailed over it, back bending, then legs flicking in perfect timing. Harry couldn’t help but stare.

‘Close your jaw, love, you might catch flies.’ Ginny said, climbing off the mat. That was when Harry felt a swooping sensation in his stomach, a surety that this girl had just carved out a spot both in his mind and heart. A spot that he knew would be very hard to evict her from. It had hit him so hard, that he didn’t realise she was still talking to him.

‘-too scared?’

‘Hm?’ he shook his head.

‘Are you going to go or are you too scared?’ she repeated, standing to the side.

He scoffed and waved her off, then focussed on the bar. A stupid thought entered his brain, and he was stupid enough to voice it out loud. ‘Don’t you want to stand in the middle there?’

Ginny snorted. ‘No bloody chance, you’ll break my neck!’

‘Come on, you can trust me,’ he urged.

‘Oh yeah, I can trust the bloke who glared at me after losing a shiny medal, and then followed me into a bathroom?’

‘Well, when you say it like that…’ Harry ran a hand through his hair. He appeared to think for a moment. ‘You can hate me forever if I kick you in the face?’

‘You’d give me that permission?’ Ginny said, voice dripping with sarcasm. Despite her tone however, she started moving towards the mat. She was just as eager for a challenge as he always was. She straightened up and crossed her arms over her chest, facing him. The top of her head matched perfectly with the bar.

‘Here goes nothing,’ Harry said under his breath. He leant back, gathering courage, then shot forward, sprinting towards the bar. To her credit, Ginny’s face remained stony as he pelted towards her. He sprang off his right foot, arms going into the air, back arching. He sailed through the cool air, flicked his feet, and then fell on the mattress with a shout.

‘I said you could trust me!’ he said, punching his first in the air. He craned his neck to look at Ginny, who was in one piece, though she looked rather bewildered and was trying to balance herself. Before Harry could do anything, she toppled onto the mat, right on top of him.

‘Oh, um,’ Harry fumbled, trying to put his hands anywhere but her body. The mat was squishy and unyielding however, and it seemed to push them closer and closer together. ‘Are you alright?’ he asked Ginny as she lifted herself somewhat off him. Her hands were on either side of his chest, and she hovered over him.

Her eyes found his, and she laughed lightly. ‘Just quite scary when a man comes running at you and then jumps clean over your head,’ she whispered.

‘You think it was clean?’ he asked.

She nodded, and leaned in subtly closer, more of her weight pressing down on him. His hands came to the middle of her back. Her hair tickled his neck.

‘It’s weird here, this time of night,’ she whispered. ‘So quiet.’

‘I think I like it this way,’ Harry said.

She quirked an eyebrow, and her eyes sparkled. Harry moved a hand to her cheek, brushing his thumb along the curve of her face. They were so close; he could see every freckle and blemish on her skin.

‘Me too,’ she said, and then she closed the gap between them, and her lips were on his. His hand moved to tangle in her hair, her body shifted to bring them even closer together. Harry toyed with the hem of her shirt, and she reached down to guide his hand under it, and up her torso.

‘I can’t believe I jumped over you,’ he gasped, her lips running along his jaw.

‘I can’t believe I let you,’ she replied. But then she moved down to his neck and any and all thoughts left his brain, replaced completely with Ginny.

* * *

‘And then what happened?’ Seamus asked.

‘Then I walked her home,’ Harry said. He dodged out of the way as students poured out of the lecture hall he was waiting to enter.

‘And then?’ Seamus urged. Harry shared a look with Neville, who rolled his eyes.

‘I went home,’ Harry dragged out.

‘You’re telling me you just snogged?’

‘Yep,’ Harry said. Seamus looked at him, shaking his head, and Harry couldn’t help but smile at him. He patted Seamus on the shoulder. ‘You’ll understand one day, when you’re older,’ he said. Seamus spluttered, but Harry started retreating at that point, following Neville into their criminology class.

‘Don’t you have somewhere to be?’ Neville shouted after their friend.

‘It’s just econ!’ Seamus replied. Harry and Neville laughed, then found seats in the middle of the hall and settled down, waiting for their professor.

‘You should really be thanking him,’ Neville said as he pulled books out of his bag.

‘Seamus?’ Harry asked.

‘Yeah. You never would have met her if he hadn’t dragged you along.’

‘I know that. I also know that now he has two things to hang over my head when he wants something done, so I won’t tell him if you don’t.’

‘I won’t. Just saying,’ Neville said. Their professor entered at that point, wasting no time in telling them to settle down. Neville picked up a pen, ready to take notes, but Harry rather pulled out his phone. He had to suppress a smile when he saw a message from Ginny.

_Do you think seven-thirty classes were made simply to demoralise students?_

**I left you at your dorm at 11:30 last night**

_So? I value my sleep, if I’m not out, I’m in bed by at least ten_

**_Don’t tell me you’re one of those people who get up at 4:30 in the morning and eat overnight oats while they study for two extra hours_ **

_One out of three. I wake up at 4:30, but I work out, because I’m an actual athlete, and then eat a full English. Studying… never really happens_

**You’re really living the life of a rockstar, Gin. Plus, ouch, I’m an actual athlete.**

_Whatever gets you to sleep at night (however late that may be). But speaking of the rockstar life, are you free to train again tonight?_

Harry hesitated with his fingers above the keypad of his phone. He looked up, biting his lips. What exactly did she mean by train? He had an afternoon session today anyway. Did she mean after that? Did she mean train like train train? Or goof around? Or… snog? Neville must have sensed his apprehension as he leaned over and read the messages. He raised his eyebrows at Harry, sending him a thumbs up.

**I’m gonna be at the track all afternoon. Come find me whenever**

That sounded casual, Harry thought. As if he wasn’t expecting anything. He stared at his screen, waiting for a reply to appear. It seemed to take an age. He was just beginning to listen to his lecturer when a new message popped up.

_Make sure you don’t fall off your pole this time ;)_

* * *

Harry bumped fists with Neville and stood back as his friend headed to his marker, placed along the strip of tarmac that led to the pole-vault bar. They were still in the beginning stages of the competition, jumping warm-up heights really.

Harry felt relaxed. He had enjoyed a good week of training, hard, but enjoyable. He recalled his coach telling him that he hadn’t been jumping so well in a long while. Harry crossed his arms over his chest and watched Neville soar over the bar.

‘You out already?’

Harry turned to see Ginny strolling towards him, a bag slung over her shoulder, a warm-up jersey thrown over her kit. He smiled at her. ‘We’ve barely started actually, I’m still very much in.’

She feigned disbelief, but then shrugged and stopped next to him. Neville came back from his jump and held out his hand for Ginny to shake.

‘It’s nice to finally meet you,’ he said, bending down to scratch in his kit bag. Ginny raised an eyebrow at Harry.

‘You’ve heard a lot about me?’ she asked.

Neville laughed, standing up with a water bottle in hand. ‘Don’t worry, all good things,’ he said. ‘You’re actually my hero, I never would’ve seen Harry bail so hard if it weren’t for you.’

Harry groaned and ran a hand over his face. ‘Are we really never going to get over that?’ he asked.

Neville and Ginny shared a look. ‘Nope!’ they said in unison.

They watched the other pole-vaulters for a while, before Neville left to find his grandmother who was reported to be watching him today. Harry was hyper-aware of how close Ginny was standing to him. She always managed to smell amazing, like flowers and fruit. 

‘What have you got next?’ he asked her.

‘Hurdles,’ she replied. ‘I’m second on the table, and I know that I can beat Durrell. Then there’s just javelin.’

‘So you’re saying you’ve got this in the bag?’ Harry turned to her with a smirk.

‘I’m not saying anything,’ Ginny said, though her eyes shone with anticipation. Harry couldn’t imagine he would ever get enough of that blazing look on her face. They had trained together almost every night of the previous week, and even in their silly competitions she would get so passionate, eager to win. He found himself being pushed harder, further, by her. He loved it.

‘Oh, there’s my family!’ Ginny waved at some far-off point in the stands, and Harry followed her line of sight. It wasn’t hard to identify them, a group of red heads settling on the benches. Ginny checked the watch on her wrist.

‘I should get to the blocks,’ she said. At the same time, Harry heard his name called for his next jump.

‘I’ll hopefully catch your race,’ he said to her. She nodded and started to walk away. Harry turned his back to her, taking off his sweats.

‘Oh, and Harry?’ he heard her call his name once more and turned around. She ran up to him and kissed him quickly on the lips, chaste, but passionate. His arms came instinctively to her waist. Before he knew it, she was drawing back and smiling at him. ‘Good luck,’ she whispered. Then, with a wink, she jogged away from him.

‘Harry Potter!’ The announcer at the vault called one last time.

Harry shook himself out of his reverie. ‘I’m here! I’m here!’

He set himself up for the jump, and when he launched himself into the air, soaring over the bar, he felt lighter than he had in a very long time.

Neville returned, and the competition went smoothly from thereon out. Harry managed to catch Ginny’s hurdles race, where she got second place and subsequently moved up to first in the heptathlon table. He saw her later at javelin too, on the other side of the track, but he couldn’t leave his event to watch her.

Neville washed out before Harry, leaving only one other competitor for gold. Harry made it over the bar on each height on the first attempt every single time. He had a flawless competition, and eventually his opponent succumbed to it, not able to make it over the final height. When Harry won, he looked not immediately to the stands where his parents and godfather were, but to the screen that broadcasted results. He saw the final standings of Ginny’s heptathlon; her name was written proudly at the top of the table. He smiled to himself, then jogged over to his parents.

‘Harry! Well done love!’ His mother shouted as he approached the stands. He smiled at her and allowed her to take his face in her hands, kissing his cheeks.

‘Let the boy breathe, Lil,’ his dad joked, coming to stand by her side. ‘Brilliant jumping, Harry,’ he added.

‘I think he had some help,’ Sirius said, leaning over the rails, and sending him a smirk. Harry rolled his eyes at his godfather. ‘What’s her name?’

‘Her name is Ginny- ‘

‘-Ginny! Hey Ginny!’ Sirius started waving his hands in the air, gesturing to someone behind Harry. Harry grimaced and turned around slowly to see Ginny in the middle of the track, a finger pointing at her chest, eyebrows furrowed as if to ask “ _me?”._

Sirius beckoned her forward, and Harry saw her wave to her family further along the stands, before jogging up to them.

‘Hey,’ she said, smiling at them. ‘You must be Harry’s parents.’ She shook their hands, then turned to Sirius. ‘And his godfather.’

‘And you must be Harry’s…?’ Sirius accepted her handshake, looking between the two of them.

‘Friend. My friend,’ Harry said quickly. Ginny laughed and sent him a look.

‘Among other things. He’s called me his inspiration, role model, life-coach,’ she joked. Sirius laughed and bent forward to mock whisper to her.

‘He’s a lost cause this one, I’ve been trying to coach him in life for years,’ he said.

‘Hey!’ Harry objected.

‘You are very difficult,’ Ginny said. ‘You know he still blames his problems on girls innocently walking by and talking in completely normal voices?’

‘You two can’t just gang up on me. This is not happening,’ Harry said.

‘Get used to it Harry, you know how Sirius and Lily turn on me all the time,’ his dad said. Harry grumbled and shook his head. He hoped Ginny didn’t think his dad was comparing the two of them to a married couple. They had barely known each other for two weeks.

‘Why don’t you join us for dinner, Ginny?’ Lily interrupted, breaking up any beginnings of an argument.

‘My family’s all here and we were planning on eating together,’ Ginny said. ‘But thank you for the invite.’

‘Well why don’t you all come? We have plenty to go around, I’m doing a roast.’ James said.

Harry and Ginny laughed together, and Ginny tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, looking up at Harry’s dad with a grin.

‘I’m not sure if you know what you’re getting yourself into, Mr Potter. There’s eight more people. Six grown boys in there,’ she said.

Harry saw his dad’s eyes widen slightly, but then he clapped his hands together. ‘That sounds lovely. I reckon it will be one of the more interesting nights we’ve had in a while. And we can dig something out of the freezer.’

‘Um… well I’d love to, I’d just have to check and see if that’s okay,’ Ginny said. Harry’s parents were already turning to each other and planning what more food they could bring out. Lily talked excitedly about using the big dining room table and the nice settings. Harry shook his head at them, then realised Ginny had slipped away to talk to her parents. He ran up to her before she could reach them.

‘Gin, you know you can say no if you want,’ he said, catching up to her.

‘If I had meant to say no I would’ve,’ she said, stopping and looking at him. ‘Haven’t you realised by now that I usually say what I mean?’

‘I suppose you do.’ He said. He paused and looked back at his family, still squabbling in the stands. ‘Is this really the best idea?’ he asked.

‘What? Mixing together our two barmy families when the strongest connection we have is a snog on a high jump mat?’ she asked.

He brought a hand to rub the back of his neck and looked at her sheepishly. She always seemed so cool and collected, knowing just what to say. He had never met anyone that could crack a joke like she could, in any situation.

‘Listen Harry, and I’m saying this now that you know I never say anything I don’t mean,’ she started, moving closer to him. Her hand brushed against his, fingers teasing his skin. ‘I really like you, and I intend to keep talking to you and snogging you-’ she shrugged ‘-Maybe even more than that- ‘

‘-More than snogging? Like playing footsie?’ he joked.

‘Something like that.’ She clasped her hand in his. ‘So, I say the sooner we meet the family, the better.’

‘And what if I didn’t feel the same way?’ he teased.

‘If you don’t want to play footsie with me?’ she asked. ‘I’d become best friends with your parents and you’d live the rest of your life resenting me, probably,’ she said casually.

‘Harsh.’

‘I don’t think that’ll happen though,’ she said.

‘Me neither,’ he replied softly, and then he bent down to capture her lips in a deep kiss. It didn’t last long, but to him it felt like several sunlit days. She eventually placed a hand on his chest and pulled away.

‘Come on, let’s get this over with, “friend”,’ she joked. He groaned and followed her to her parents. She looked over her shoulder at him and winked. ‘I have a feeling your dad and Sirius are going to get on swimmingly with the twins.’


End file.
